


Eyes On Me

by HallowedNight



Category: Jurassic Park (Movies), Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bonding, Did I Mention Raptors?, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Pack Dynamics, Raptors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-05 18:18:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4190091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HallowedNight/pseuds/HallowedNight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Owen Grady was completely satisfied with his life; that is, until a pack of tiny, deadly reptiles came and turned everything upside down. </p><p>Or: In which Owen raises raptors, wrestles rexes, dodges dinosaurs, and represses all manner of feelings as he learns what it truly means to be an Alpha.</p><p>((Rating/warnings/tags may change in later chapters.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I finally gave in an decided to write a Jurassic World fic. And I actually have a really long storyline planned for this one. o wo
> 
> Owen is super fun to write, I love him so much~ Enjoy!
> 
> EDIT: Wow, okay, for anyone who saw that the text was there twice, I fixed that up. :p Whoops.

Owen Grady was a happy, happy man. He was in a great place in his life, honestly; fresh out of an okay, but far from thrilling, stint in the military and with nothing to lose, he had pounced on the opportunity presented to him by Masrani Global. Now that he thought about it, he probably should have at least slept on the offer. He hadn’t even known exactly what they were going to ask him to do, beyond the fact that he’d be working with animals. Though, that was all he really needed. Always had been.

As a kid, Owen was taken with animals of all shapes and sizes, and his love had only grown with him. At thirteen, he had somehow convinced the deer around his home to eat out of his hands; by sixteen, he had raised a baby hawk and trained it to deliver messages and catch mice in the family barn. When a huge forest fire killed his father and razed the farm he had planned to work on for the rest of his life, Owen had gone into the military and worked his way up to a dog trainer. It was fun, rewarding work, work that he was damn good at it, and he loved every animal he trained, but he felt…unfulfilled, like a part of him was pulling away, yanking him towards something special, something _bigger._

Well, Owen mused as he made his way down the familiar route to his favorite after-lunch-snack stand, Jurassic World was definitely bigger.

_You’ll be working with dinosaurs, of course._

Owen remembered the words like it was yesterday, even though he had been working at Jurassic World for going on six months now.

_We’ve heard of your successes with military dogs, teaching them new things, skills other trainers wouldn’t have imagined were possible._

Owen had shrugged off the praise; animals liked him, listened to him, that was all. Sure, he was good, and he’d admit it, but there had to be plenty of other great trainers out there. What kind of animals will I be working with? he had asked.

_…dinosaurs…_

Of course. His jaw had nearly hit the floor. He had only been ten years old when the first Jurassic Park story hit the news; like any kid his age, the drooled over the thought of real dinosaurs running around, but he hadn't really been old enough to grasp the magnitude of what exactly mankind had accomplished. He hadn’t really followed the opening of Jurassic World; in fact, engrossed as he was in his work, he wasn’t aware that there was another dino park until he was offered a job in it. Now thirty-one, he was about to realize how incredible these accomplishments, these animals, really were.

_It’s just basic care, Mr. Grady. You can think of yourself as a glorified zookeeper, if you’d like._

He accepted on the spot, and moved to Isla Nublar two days later.

Now, six months later, Owen was one-hundred percent satisfied with his decision. His job definitely wasn’t pretty, but he was having the time of his life; this particular afternoon found him splattered in mud and who knew what else after taking a his motorcycle out to check on the herbivores of the West Plains. It had rained heavily the night before, but the day always dawned brighter after a stormy night, and the animals seemed to think so too. Huge, lumbering Apatosaurs called in his direction, and Stegosaurs and Triceratops thundered alongside his bike while the Gallimimus easily outstripped him. He weaved among herds of Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus, relaying areas that needed cleaning or landscaping to the required crews.

 _Damn_ , he loved his job.

“Goooood afternoon, Sue!” Owen beamed across the counter of the ice cream stand, resting one arm on the cool marble. The woman behind the counter shook her head, returning Owen’s smile, her dark eyes twinkling happily.

“You’d better watch out, Mr. Grady,” she replied, fishing a nice ceramic bowl from under the counter. “You’re gonna start putting on weight if you keep eating this stuff after every meal.” Owen grinned. “We’re out of your usual, by the way.”

“Aww!” Owen pushed out his bottom lip in a mock pout, hoisting himself onto one of the barstools fencing the counter. “But you _know_ cookies ‘n’ cream is my favorite…”

Sue sighed dramatically. “It’s a hot day! And the kids love cookies ‘n’ cream.” She gasped, feigning a revelation as she used an oversized ice cream scoop to gesture in Owen’s direction. “That must explain why you like it so much!” The trainer guffawed and rolled his eyes, grinning.

“You’ve found me out! I’m actually a six year old masquerading as a handsome animal wrangler just to fool the nice woman at the ice cream stand. And vanilla-chocolate swirl is fine,” he added as an afterthought.

“More likely you just wanted to get close to the dinosaurs,” Sue said as she turned to scoop his ice cream. “Anyone who knows you knows they’re your first love.” She was still smiling as she slid the bowl down the counter, but Owen could sense the undercurrent of a challenge in the seemingly innocuous words. He shrugged, perhaps a mite unwilling to pry open that particular can of worms.

“What can I say? I like my girls big and scaly.”

He was saved from the wrath of Sue’s raised eyebrows by his radio, which screeched obnoxiously and drew some pointed looks from the park-goers around him. Snatching the irritating thing from his belt, he rattled off the customary greeting, eyes widening slightly as the return message crackled through.

_“We need you in Zone L-2, Mr. Grady. As soon as possible, over."_

Owen frowned. Zone L-2 was in the restricted section of the island on the North coast; though he often ran patrols though the jungles up there and had helped transfer a few dinosaurs left from the failed park twenty years previous into the new park, he didn’t usually hang around. The restricted section was just that, restricted, and felt like it, the crumbling ruins of John Hammond’s dream looming from the jungle like darkened bones.

“Be there in twenty, over,” he responded, his frown deepening at the reply.

_“Make it fifteen. Over and out.”_

This was weird. No one in the usual park staff actually said ‘over and out,’ that was so cliché… Only the higher-ups followed protocol like that; it made them feel important, or so Owen thought. Turning to Sue, who had been listening discretely, he grinned and grabbed a plastic spoon from the nearest dispenser. “Guess I better eat this quick!”

Sue smiled a little less enthusiastically. “I would say don’t get a brainfreeze, but…” she teased. Owen flicked a nearby chocolate chip in her direction.

One large bowl of hastily-eaten vanilla-chocolate swirl later, Owen hopped off the stool and waved to Sue, who returned the gesture. “See ya tomorrow!” he said cheerfully, contradicting the little knot of apprehension twisting his gut.

“Yeah…” Sue returned. “Be careful!”

“Always!”

Owen exhaled heavily as he exited into the humid, tropical heat of the park. He would be a little late getting to Zone L-2, but the ice cream was worth it; if whoever wanted him had really wanted him _that badly_ , they would have made him come immediately. Unsure of what to focus on, Owen’s brain flitted between Sue and this mysterious summons. It was obvious the woman cared about him…but Owen really did consider himself married to his work, at least at the moment. He had gone on a few dates – well, one, really – when he had first come to Isla Nublar, but it hadn’t worked out. Though he was fine dating a coworker, this one was a little…not his type. At all. Not even close.

These thoughts drifted to the wayside when Owen mounted his bike, which he had parked in a small staff lot mostly hidden behind the main row of shops and restaurants. If this meeting was what he thought it was, his love life needed to be the last thing on his mind right now. Of course, he could be completely wrong; Jurassic World always seemed to hold surprise after prehistoric surprise around every bend. At least he was never bored.

Zone L-2 consisted of a compound of buildings nestled along the North coast. Owen had never been inside, but as he parked his bike beside one of the distinctly out-of-place buildings, he sensed a lab sort of vibe. The walls were whitewashed and pristine, all but sparkling in the afternoon sunlight, spotless tinted windows preventing peeks from prying eyes. Taking several deep, steadying breaths, the trainer cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, settling into the calm, collected demeanor he had used with his dogs. He honestly doubted it would work on execs or scientists, but it was worth a shot.

He was surprised to find a clump of white-clad lab techs waiting for him just inside the main set of doors.

“Mr. Grady!” The only man in civilian clothes stepped forward and extended his hand; Owen tilted his head in response as he shook the proffered hand. The man seemed nice enough, but there was cunning buried in those eyes, and a fierce intelligence that wasn’t to be taken lightly. “I’m Dr. Henry Wu, and I’ve been told to introduce you to your next assignment.”

Assignment? That was unexpected. Skillfully hiding his surprise, Owen inclined his head once more. “Lead on,” he prompted, hooking his thumbs through the front of his belt.

Dr. Wu smiled, apparently pleased with his response, and began striding around the complex pointing things out as he went. Owen was barely listening; his mind was racing, practically tying itself in knots as he tried to work out some obvious explanation for this unforeseen turn in his previously idyllic life.

The truth was far beyond anything he could have imagined.

“Here we are,” Dr. Wu finally exclaimed, stepping into an immaculate lab that made Owen feel very grubby indeed. A few technicians milled around, though Owen had the distinct feeling they were paying very close attention to himself and Dr. Wu. His eyes snapped to the expensive-looking machine in the middle of the room as the top lifted with a theatrical plume of vapor to reveal four large, off-white eggs nestled against each other and surrounded by some sort of substrate. Owen’s heart jumped into his throat and his gaze flicked from the eggs to Dr. Wu and back.

“Mr. Grady, meet your new pack. Four healthy velociraptors.”

Pack? Velociraptors.

Owen swallowed.

_Fuck._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I had no idea that first chapter was gonna be so popular. o wo Anyway, we finally get some raptor babs now~ Enjoy!

“So you’re telling me…these are velociraptors? _My_ velociraptors?”

Owen was in a state of shock. His brain kept freezing up on him, flat out refusing to properly analyze what he had just been told. The scientists all seemed a little smug about his reaction; it was this more than anything that snapped him out of it.

“Have…have you all been planning this since I’ve been here? And you didn’t tell me?” The beginnings of blooming smiles died from a few faces. Dr. Wu stepped forward, raising a hand in what was probably supposed to be a placating gesture.

“Now, Mr. Grady-”

“Don’t ‘Mr. Grady’ me! You’ve just sprung this on me, that you intend for me to…what? _Train_ some of the deadliest animals on the planet? Turn them into lap raptors?” He snorted. “And you’re telling me _now_ , now that they’re going to hatch in…”

One of the technicians glanced at his watch. “Approximately five minutes, if our math is correct.”

“Five…” That was a nice watch, Owen mused. Sturdy leather, dark face; fashionable. Not what he’d expect from a lab rat like that guy. “Five minutes. These raptors are gonna hatch in five minutes.”

The same tech glanced towards one of his coworkers, then nodded slowly.

“ _Fuck_.” Owen exhaled heavily, leaning forward to brace his hands on his knees. After a few seconds, precious seconds now, he glanced up at Dr. Wu. “And if I say I’m not gonna do it?”

“You’re the only candidate we’ve selected for this program,” the doctor responded, eyes fixed purposefully on Owen’s face. “If you decline, we would be forced to terminate the experiment.”

“You’d kill them.”

Wu inclined his head just slightly.

“Dammit!” The trainer slammed his fist on his own thigh, startling the already nervous technicians, though Dr. Wu was unaffected. Straightening up, Owen rolled his shoulders and approached the makeshift nest. Hairline cracks crisscrossed the eggs; the tiny fissures were impossible to miss now that he knew how close they were to hatching. After a second’s more consideration, the man set his jaw and turned around, expression resolute.

“Fine. But let me make one thing clear.” Owen crossed his arms, and Wu mirrored the motion. “If these animals are gonna be mine, then they are _mine_ , do you understand? I will raise them how I see fit, and not you or InGen or anyone is gonna try to get in my way.” A thrill of sudden excitement welled in Owen’s chest, but he dampened it with some effort. He was about to embark on a journey unlike anything anyone had ever attempted before, unlike anything anyone _wanted_ to attempt. If the little plan forming in his head was successful…well, he’d burn that bridge when he came to it.

Dr. Wu seemed to ruminate for a moment, the tension in the room building, until: “That’s completely understandable.” The doctor deliberately lowered his arms back to his sides, nodding in the direction of the nest. “The raptors will imprint on the first living thing they see,” he said pointedly. “We’re not sure to what degree yet, but-”

“How about I tell you that?” Owen smiled coolly, then turned back to the eggs. A few had already begun shedding their shells, tiny fragments littering the substrate keeping them upright. Waving away the offered pair of surgical gloves, the trainer knelt and watched with well-contained wonder as the little reptiles pushed their way into the outside world.

This was no different than any other birth, honestly. Owen had helped all sorts of animals – cows, goats, dogs, and even an alpaca once – give birth before, and it always got to him for some reason. Animals were so resilient, ready to take on the world as soon as their feet hit solid ground. It was affirming, like he was doing something right by helping these creatures.

When the first raptor finally pushed its head out of the shell completely, Owen couldn’t help but chuckle. “These are all female?” he asked as he picked a piece of shell from the raptor’s head.

“Yes, they are,” Wu replied; the doctor and technicians had moved further back, though it wasn’t really necessary. Owen was now hovering, completely engrossed in his new little charges.

“Hi, girl…” he crooned, running a gentle finger along the newly-hatched raptor’s head, feather-light touches drawing a squeak from the reptile. She was beautiful, and Owen could already feel himself getting attached; damn these amazing animals. Ten minutes ago he was completely against this, but now…Dr. Wu must have known this would happen, but, not surprisingly, Owen couldn’t really bring himself to care.

“Get me a towel or something,” Owen said, gesturing vaguely behind him as he started helping the other three babies out of their eggs. The first raptor was already getting livelier, knocking over her egg in her attempts to free herself of its confines. Owen laughed out loud and plucked the little reptile from the nest with one hand, snapping his fingers a few times until he felt a warm towel being pushed into his palm. Still murmuring softly, he started cleaning the raptor, marveling at her coloring; vaguely blue streaks wound down her head and sides like living lightning bolts, undulating with her breathing as her cries grew louder, more insistent.

“Oh, hush,” Owen chided, smiling as he plopped the reptile back in the nest. He repeated the process with the other three raptors, occasionally turning one back to the center of the nest when they got too close to the edge of the hatching platform. Soon, they were all clean, dry, and apparently hungry; the smallest was busy nibbling at her own egg, while two more were snapping at each other’s tails. The firstborn kept squawking at Owen.

“What?” he said, dipping his head to look her in the eyes. They were incisive and reptilian, brimming with intelligence even at just a few minutes old. “Are you hungry? Aah!” The sharp noise, not unlike the reprimands Owen used to use with his dogs, stopped the little raptor in her tracks; she had lunged at her new keeper’s face, but was now motionless, staring at Owen, unblinking. The trainer responded in kind, narrowing his eyes slightly. After a few seconds, the raptor turned away and trundled back to her sisters, seemingly unmoved.

Owen, however, was far from that. He had _felt_ something in that stare, a deep, intensely-focused sentience beyond anything he had ever seen in an animal. There had also been a moment, a split-second, really, that felt like…understanding, a connection of some kind. Owen had chastised, snapped at misconduct, and the raptor had complied, and _that_ was one hell of a slippery slope.

Engrossed as he was in the animals before him, Owen nearly jumped when Dr. Wu approached him, smiling knowingly. “Here.” He pushed a metal bowl in to the taller man’s hands. “They probably are hungry.”

Owen nodded, watching warily as the doctor headed back to confer with his gaggle of technicians. Shaking his head, he started feeding his pack, biting back smiles of his own as the raptors jumped up to grab the strips of meat from his hands. They never got close to his fingers, and Owen never flinched away from their razor-sharp teeth. If he wanted to bond with these animals, he knew he would have to be completely without fear; though he wasn’t out to control them, some managing was going to be necessary to keep all of them safe, especially as the raptors grew. He was already starting to formulate drills and exercises that would help establish correct pack dynamics, but most of the work was going to be on his end, making sure his energy was calm, collected, and in control.

By the time the bowl was empty, each raptor was decidedly heavier and equally sleepier. Though they all appeared perfectly alert, Owen could see drowsiness in the lazy wave of their tails and loose posture. They weren’t all that hard to read, if he was honest, and that surprised him. Of course, sleepiness wasn’t exactly hard to spot in most animals. Grabbing another towel from the pile beside the hatching platform, Owen laid it out and herded the tiny pack onto it, then wriggled his hands underneath and hoisted all four raptors into his arms. They squawked and struggled for a moment, but soon got situated and relaxed momentarily against their handler’s chest.

“I’ve _never_ seen raptors act like that.” The tech that had given Owen the time earlier was gaping towards the raptor-laden trainer, shaking his head slowly. “Incredible…”

Owen jabbed his chin at the man. “What’s your name?”

“Neil,” the tech responded; he seemed fairly young, probably mid to late twenties, with wide, curious eyes and short-cropped brown hair.

“Well, Neil, I think I’m gonna need a lift back to my place, so…you ever driven a motorcycle?”

A few minutes later saw Owen awkwardly tossing his keys to the wiry lab tech, grinning as Neil inelegantly struggled out of his white lab uniform. Owen could tell that Dr. Wu was a more than a little miffed that a dingy animal trainer was ordering his workers around, but said trainer wasn’t particularly troubled. Though he wasn’t exactly sure what he was feeling at the moment, concern for Wu’s opinions definitely wasn’t it.

“Not a scratch!” Owen called over his shoulder as he climbed into the back of a Jeep, pack half asleep in his arms. Neil grinned back as he mounted the bike, obviously convinced he was about to have the time of his life.

“Yes, sir!”

Owen grinned. “What the fuck is happening?” he muttered to the warm bundle in his lap. “I’m taking a pack of velociraptors to my house, that’s what happening.”

He knew he should be terrified, he really did. But he just…wasn’t. These were animals; highly intelligent, ridiculously deadly animals, but animals nonetheless, and animals were what Owen knew best. For better or worse, this was going to be the experience of a lifetime.


End file.
